How to Track Calories and Nutrition with MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is a free app and website that helps you track what you eat each day. Whether your goal is losing weight, building muscle, eating more protein, or understanding your nutrition better, logging your food gives you real data instead of guesswork. MyFitnessPal has one of the largest food databases available — over 14 million foods — including branded products, restaurant menu items, and basic whole foods.

To get started, download MyFitnessPal on your phone or visit myfitnesspal.com and create a free account. You'll be asked to enter your height, weight, age, activity level, and your main goal (such as lose weight, maintain weight, or gain muscle). Based on your answers, MyFitnessPal calculates a daily calorie goal for you. You can adjust this goal later if it doesn't feel right.

Logging a meal is straightforward: tap the + button next to a meal (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or Snacks), search for the food by name, and select the matching item from the list. Many packaged foods can be logged by scanning the barcode with your phone's camera — tap the barcode icon in the search bar and point your camera at the package. Once you select a food, you can adjust the portion size and MyFitnessPal calculates the calories and nutrients automatically.

The Nutrition Dashboard shows you a running total of calories consumed and remaining for the day, as well as a breakdown of macronutrients: carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Premium subscribers see more detailed tracking, but the free tier is more than adequate for most people.

You can also log exercise, which MyFitnessPal adds to your calorie allowance. If you have a fitness tracker (Fitbit, Apple Watch with Apple Health, Garmin), MyFitnessPal can sync steps and calorie burns automatically.

Setting a water intake goal helps many people stay hydrated throughout the day. MyFitnessPal has a simple water logging feature on the diary screen.

The most important factor in accurate tracking is honesty and completeness. Logging everything — even the snacks, drinks, and cooking oils — gives you a true picture of your intake. Using a kitchen scale to weigh food, rather than estimating by volume, greatly improves accuracy.

Food tracking is a tool, not a rule. Many registered dietitians recommend using it for a few weeks to build awareness, rather than logging every meal forever. If you find tracking feels stressful or triggers unhealthy thoughts about food, stop and consult with a registered dietitian or your doctor.